# Meditation practice

## Daily schedule

- Pick at least 2 specific times every day, to meditate for 15-30m. Setting an alarm helps, for consistency. Find what works best for you.

## What doesn't work

- Doing 1-10m per day is pointless. Your mind is like a glass of water with sediments, it needs time for those sediments to settle to the bottom. This is why skilled meditators recommend longer sessions. Dipa Ma recommends 4h / day, 2h sit at dawn, 2h in the evening. 1-2h per day seems to be the recommended amount, but 20-45m / day is a good starting point.
- Trying to start out too long / day will fail, because it requires a lot of motivation. We want to gradually build a habit, not rely on motivation.

## Preparation before Meditating on your subject

- Mindful breath that you will succeed, and are on the same path as the Buddha and other arahants.
- Mindful breath of loving-kindness towards all beings.
- Mindful breath of death, and the impurity of your body.

## Dealing with distractions

[Source](https://suttacentral.net/mn20/en/sujato?lang=en&layout=plain&reference=none&notes=asterisk&highlight=false&script=latin)

- Focus on its opposite, or something else.
  - Sensual desire - the gross body
  - hatred / anger - loving friendliness
  - depression / dejection - wholesome qualities of the buddha
- Examine its drawbacks (three marks)
- Forget or ignore
- Reject or stop them
- Crush them, with teeth clenched and tongue against roof of mouth